Even Heaven Could Not Save Florida Resident from Wrath of IRS

Nowhere to Run, Nowhere to Hide from IRS

A Melbourne, Florida man could face up to six years in federal prison and a fine of up to $200,000 after refusing to accurately report his income to the IRS. His reason for not filing, as he told IRS agents, was that he was not subject to man’s laws because he “resided in the Kingdom of Heaven.”

The man, Russell P. Gentile, was charged with obstruction of an IRS agent and filing false tax returns. According to FloridaToday.com, Investigators reported a series of letters and conversations on behalf of the IRS in which Gentile demanded to be removed from the IRS databases, questioning their authority and threatening to sue the IRS. In response, the IRS brought him into court on serious criminal charges, and he has been indicted on filing false tax returns.

Untouchable Al Capone’s Undoing, Courtesy of the IRS

It just goes to show that no matter what lengths you may go to, taxes are an inescapable fact of life – no matter where you claim to reside. Think of Al Capone, criminal mastermind and notorious gangster. Capone is infamous for his alleged involvement in countless murders, violations of prohibition, and an endless variety of other crimes. However, the crime that finally did Capone in was tax evasion. Capone discovered that tax evasion is no minor crime, as it came with a penalty of 11 years in prison!

Nothing Certain, but Death and Taxes

No matter which side of the law you may find yourself on – both man’s law and otherwise – the IRS is omnipotent in its reach, should you not adhere to their edicts of filing, reporting and paying. The IRS imposes serious penalties for late filings. The moral of the story is, file your taxes (and try to do it on time).

The late-filing penalty is five percent per month, and additional penalties may be assessed as well. If a person fails to pay these owed taxes, the IRS can take matters into their own hands by levying wages, bank accounts, other income, or placing liens against assets of the taxpayer. As Benjamin Franklin said, “in this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes.” That adage survived through the heyday of mobsters like Capone, and seems to be alive and well today.

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